Apperley launches the latest TUBEHONE with HepcoMotion’s HDS2

Monday, 18th Jan 18:09

For over 50
years, Apperley Honing have been providing a first class subcontract honing
service, with over 20 fully commissioned honing machines available to hone
bores between 3mm and 1050mm diameter. As well as using Sunnen, Barnes and
Delapena horizontal honing machines in the subcontract department, the
engineers at Apperley Honing have also been designing, developing and
manufacturing their own brand of TUBEHONE, with the first Apperley horizontal
honing machine built back in 1975 and still honing today in the subcontract
department.

Constantly
improving and developing the design, the Apperley TUBEHONE uses HepcoMotion’s
world leading products. The latest horizontal hone, has a bespoke design which
can be supplied in 2 metre, 4 metre, 6 metre, 8 metre or 10 metre lengths. The
revolutionary modular design allows customers to purchase a short stroke
machine, which can be retrofitted with extensions at a later date. Apperley required
a solution to accomodate the modular chassis design: Hepco’s HDS2 fitted the
bill perfectly.

Hepco’s
HDS2 beams provide the perfect solution thanks to their availability in modular
lengths. The HDS2 beams are
accurately machined and ended to make up butted sets – which allows the
customer to accommodate different stroke lengths. Hepco’s HDS2 joining plate
assm holes ensure additional beams can be added with ease. The modular design
is particularly beneficial for customers as they can purchase a 2 metre machine
which may suit their current demands, work space availability or pricing, but
as the business grows they can extend their system to accommodate longer
workpieces.

A key
consideration for any honing machine is the need for products that can withstand
hostile and dirty environments. The by-product of the honing process is an
abrasive sludge which contains a mixture of oil, spent abrasive and metal
debris. This is where Hepco’s HDS2 comes in. Hepco’s V guide system effectively addresses the problem of
debris entering the sliding mechanisms thanks to its self-cleaning action,
ensuring a smooth and accurate hone.
Having invented the V guide system nearly 50 years ago, Hepco is well
renowned for its V guide technology and the many benefits it offers.

Apperley
Honing TUBEHONE also use a special 840mm long HDS2 carriage to provide the
necessary platform area to mount the motor/gearbox honing head. Additionally, 3
x standard HDS2 carriages are used, each with 12 x M10 tapped hols for the
piano stools to support the 8 metre long honing shaft. The HDS2 solution meets the needs of
the modular design perfectly. Furthermore, Hepco’s HDS2 provides a ‘fit and
forget’ solution with minimum maintenance requirements.

Apperley
Honing has enjoyed great success with the Apperley TUBEHONE. In addition to the units already sold,
they have an eight metre machine operational at their Cheltenham site for
prospective customers to come and see, or to be used for trials. This machine
is used by the subcontract honing team on a daily basis since first being built
as a 2 metre machine 18 months ago and then extending to 8 metres in January
2015.

Offering
customers great flexibility, the ability to extend the system to suit their
needs is being well received. The
system deals with machine resonance and vibration, and the use of Hepco’s HDS2
meets the capacity, rigidity and environmental tolerance requirements of
working in dirty and abrasive environments. Easy to set up and run, the slides remain maintenance
free.